Strong earthquake hits Tokyo, nearby areas, no tsunami warning issued

An earthquake measuring a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 hit areas near Tokyo on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of casualties, the weather agency and local authorities said.

The quake struck around 9:08 a.m., with its focus in southern Ibaraki Prefecture in eastern Japan at a depth of around 46 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

It registered lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Tochigi and Saitama prefectures, 4 in Ibaraki and 3 in Tokyo, the agency said.

The quake temporarily halted Hokuriku and Joetsu shinkansen bullet train services connecting Tokyo and the central Japan cities of Nagano and Niigata, respectively, according to their operator.

No abnormality was reported at the Tokai No. 2 atomic power station in Ibaraki following the quake, its operator said.

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